New lives starting for college graduates

Lorraine Christine Del-Rose adjusts the cap on her dog Radar during a briefing outside before commencement ceremonies for San Diego Mesa College graduates at the University of San Diego on Saturday.
— David Brooks / UNION-TRIBUNE

Lorraine Christine Del-Rose adjusts the cap on her dog Radar during a briefing outside before commencement ceremonies for San Diego Mesa College graduates at the University of San Diego on Saturday.
— David Brooks / UNION-TRIBUNE

Judith “Judi” Ann Wright remembers the fateful night three years ago when she lay in her bathtub, hung over and miserable.

She had been addicted to alcohol and cocaine for nearly 30 years. She was bouncing from one waitressing job to another.

“I was 44 years old and realized I was halfway through my life, and was pretty much a useless piece of crap,” Wright said.

She started rehab, and eventually enrolled at San Diego Mesa College to pursue a longtime dream of becoming a nurse.

On Saturday, Wright and 320 other students celebrated their graduation from Mesa.

They gathered in a sports arena at the University of San Diego, cheered on by more than 2,000 family members and friends. In all, 853 Mesa College students will graduate with associate degrees or certificates this spring, but many were unable to attend the ceremony because they had to work or prepare for final exams next week. The graduates range in age from 18 to 75 and include dozens of students who are the first in their families to go to college.

Students at Cal State San Marcos and Point Loma Nazarene University also marked their commencement Saturday.

The thousands of San Diego students graduating this season face a more promising job outlook than previous years. An April survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found companies plan to hire 5.3 percent more graduates than a year ago. That’s the biggest positive change in two years.

The economic downturn is what prompted many in the crowd of Mesa graduates to return to school.

Jeanie Chai, 50, enrolled when her work selling real estate dried up. Chai, a single mother, took heavy courseloads to finish her associate degree in a little more than a year. This fall, she will transfer to San Diego State University to study accounting.

“It was really, really hard,” Chai said of returning to the classroom after 30 years. The biggest benefit, she said, has been serving as a role model for her 15-year-old son. “He’s asking lots of questions now, and has toured UCLA and UC San Diego.”

During the ceremony, Juan Sepulveda, director of a White House initiative to improve Hispanics’ academic performance, urged graduates to keep learning.

“You need to get at least one more piece of paper,” Sepulveda said. “It could be a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, a professional degree, a career technical education. Whatever it is, the country and our president need you to keep moving forward with your education.”

Next, Wright addressed the crowd as the student commencement speaker, encouraging them to do what scares them.

“To not try is to not live,” Wright said. “To my classmates, I say, don’t let the road bumps in life throw you off your course.”

Wright acknowledged in an interview that there were times she came close to quitting. Her first setback came early in a math class, when she got a D on a test.

“I was doing the best I could, and my best wasn’t good enough,” Wright said. “I figured I might as well give up.”

But she thought about the alternative. The lonely nights. The fights. The car wrecks.

“I didn’t want to go back to that life,” said Wright, now 47. She plans to transfer into the nursing program at San Diego State University or City College, and one day help recovering addicts.

Her mother, 73-year-old Ruth Ann Wells, said she has been amazed by Wright’s journey. In the past three years, Wells has watched her daughter grow more honest and determined.

“I never could have imagined she would come this far,” Wells said. “I’m very proud of her.”